Introduction

Sudan's civic space continues to witness a steady decline since the outbreak of the war on April 15, 2023, as the armed conflict has contributed to the weakening of spaces for civil action, freedom of expression, and peaceful assembly, while the dominance of military actors in the public sphere has expanded. The multiplicity of de facto authorities has also led to increasing restrictions on the work of civil society organizations, the media, and civil activists, in light of a fragmented legal and administrative environment that lacks basic guarantees of rights and freedoms.

Freedom of Association

Sudanese civil society is facing increasing challenges as a result of the multiplicity of regulators of the work of national and international organizations, depending on the multiplicity of areas of military control within Sudan. Currently, there are four different regulatory authorities that oversee humanitarian and civilian action, including the Sudanese government authorities in areas controlled by the armed forces, the authorities of the Rapid Support Forces, as well as organizations in areas controlled by the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) and the Sudan Liberation Movement.

This has created a complex regulatory environment that imposes different requirements and procedures on organizations, limiting their ability to carry out their activities in a consistent manner across the country.

During the reporting period, various authorities continued to take restrictive regulatory measures that included the suspension of projects, the suspension of activities, and the imposition of additional registration requirements.

Freezing and cancelling project licenses

The Humanitarian Aid Commission in Northern State has issued a decision on July, 26, 2026 to suspend the activities of the National Emergency Response Groups Support and Initiatives Project  funded by the Sudan Organization for Social Development (SUDO), along with all the implementing partners of the project, without announcing clear justifications for the decision.

On the other hand, the National Authority for Humanitarian Access of the Tas'id government announced the extension of the registration and accreditation period of national and international organizations until June 13, 2026, as part of a package of new procedures for registering organizations and opening their headquarters in areas under its control.

This measure raises serious concerns about the freedom of operation of national organizations, as the requirement to register with the de facto authorities in those areas places the organizations in conflict with obligations, in light of the Sudanese government's refusal to recognize this registration, which may put the organizations at risk of losing their ability to operate in areas controlled by the Sudanese Armed Forces and in practice lead to further restriction of civil and humanitarian work at the national level.

Freedom of Expression

Violations related to freedom of expression continued during the reporting period, both in SAF-controlled and RSF-controlled areas, reflecting the continued targeting of journalists, media professionals, and civilian activists.

In July 2026, the Public Prosecution in the areas controlled by the Armed Forces issued arrest warrants against 47 Sudanese journalists and published legal notices against 17 journalists as fugitive defendants, according to the Emergency Lawyers Group and the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate.

On the other hand, in July 2026, the Sudanese Journalists Syndicate expressed its grave concern over the deterioration of the health condition of three female journalists detained by the Rapid Support Forces since February 2026. The Syndicate explained that it has received information that it described as confirmatory and worrying stating that the health condition of each of the following:

• Eshraqa Abdel Rahman, presenter at Nyala State Radio.

• Zahraa Mohamed Al-Hassan, radio correspondent.

• Mawaheb Ibrahim, radio reporter.
  
  

The Syndicate noted that the journalists, along with a number of female activists detained with them, face extremely poor conditions of detention that lack minimal health care, and continue to be denied access to treatment outside the detention center despite their deteriorating health conditions. According to the syndicate's statement, the Rapid Support Forces arrested women journalists and activists on February 28, 2026, after they participated in a workshop organized by women's organizations in the city of Nyala on women's rights, and they remain in detention without formal charges or trial.

These facts indicate that detention and criminal proceedings continue to be used as means of restricting freedom of expression and journalistic work, in contravention of international standards on freedom of opinion and expression and the protection of journalists.

Conclusion

The developments in June and July 2026 reveal the continued decline in the conditions of civil space in Sudan. Restrictions on the work of civil society organizations continued as a result of the multiplicity of regulatory authorities and conflicting administrative procedures, and violations against journalists and media professionals continued in areas controlled by the various parties to the conflict, while the freedom of peaceful assembly remained practically suspended in light of the continued state of emergency and security restrictions.